Overhead guide and roller for sliding doors



f 3 Sheets-Sheetl 1 D. H. MORGAN y lOVERHEAD GUIDE AND ROLLER FOR SLIDING DOORS AFiled Nov. 50, 1954.

Sept. 24, 1957 rel-.

SePf- 24, 1957 D. H. MORGAN 2,807,058

OVERHEAD GUIDE AND ROLLER FOR SLIDING DOORS Filed Nov. 50, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR ATTORNEY Sept. 24, 1957 D. H. MORGAN 2,807,058

OVERHEAD GUIDE AND ROLLER FOR SLIDING DOORS Filed NOV. 30, 1954 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 LNVENTOR United States Patent O AOVERHEAD 'GUIDEAND RoLLERlFoR SLIDING IDOORS 'David-H. Morgan, Youngstown, Ohio Application November 30, 1954, Serial No. 472,020 s claims. (cl. zii-19) My invention vrelates broadly to an overhead guide and roller for sliding-doors and more particularly to a weather-tight assembly for guiding Vmassive sliding doors `while allowing a wide range of vvertical movement for such'doors.

One of the Vobjects of my `invention is to provide a construction of overhead guide and roller for sliding doors including roller means for -both laterally and vertically guiding rthe doorjin its'lsliding operation while permitting movement of the 'door in a vertical direction within the protection of a vertically extending shield carried by the-overheadguideand coacting with the upper marginal yportion'of the door for preventing entry of the elements between the overhead guide and the top -peripheryof the door.

Another vobjectof `my invention is tofprovide a multiple roller assembly supported by a horizontally extending channel which also serves as a support for a vertically extending weather-shield -and a weather-strip coacting .with a rail supportralong which the `multiple rollerzassembly .operates -with means for aligning .the ,door beneath the aforesaid channel and behind therwea'thershield, whereby. the-door is -free tofmove vertically while protected by the weather-shield as the door rolls over a 'track-bed aligned beneath the roller assembly.

Another'objectofmy invention is to provide a compact roller assembly-coacting with support surfaces provided on a horizontally extending structural member with respect to which a sliding door is aligned in combination with weather-shielding means supportedfby the assembly and coacting with the upper marginal portion of the slid- Ving door, whereby a varying gap between the upperperiphery of the door and the assembly, due to -movement Y of the `door. over an uneven base rail, maybe vprotected over wide llimits `against the entry of the elements. Y

Fig. 3 isa horizontal Vsectional view taken substantially online-S--S of fFig. 1;

, Fig. 4is a perspective viewof a-fragmentary portion of "the weathershield used lin the construction of door ilflustrated in Figs. l-S;

Fig. 5 illustrates la modified construction of weathershield and Vthe coactionthereof with a sliding door in an arrangementembodying my invention;

Fig. 6 is-a frontlviewofa vfragmentary portionof the assembly illustrated in Figs. 1 4 and showing particu- 'larly"the manner inl'which the weather-shield forms a closure for the'variable gap 4between the'upper peripheral edge of the sliding door yand the door suspension means; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal Hsectional view taken online 7 7 of Fig. 6.

My invention is directed to a construction -of roller assembly and associated weather-shield for use in guiding massive sliding doors. Such doors are conveniently used vfor hangars, piers, warehouses, and as closures for large openings. Such doors are of massive proportions and are very heavy. The doors normally roll upon a bed-rail upon which they are vertically supported but due to the uneveness of the bed-rail there is often considerable Variation between top periphery of the door and the under surface of the guiding means. Also the bed-rail is supported overhead from trusses which are subject to sagging with the incidental lowering of the bed-rail causing an uneven travel path for the door wings. An opening between the top ofthe door wings and the bed-rail normally results, which is of such size that the elements, such `as wind, driving rain, snow and hail may readily pass lthrough the space to the damage of the interior of the building. n

My invention provides a roller assembly which is readily associated with a horizontally disposed structural member which provides supporting treads at each side ol the door opening and intermediate webs where the webs and treads serve -as bearing surfaces over which verti-cally and horizontally disposed rollers vof the roller a-ssembly may operate. A roller assembly of this type is mounted at spaced intervals along the rear of the web of a downwardly extending or inverted channel from which door guiding means project. The door is aligned laterally by such door guiding means and rides vertically beneath the inverted channel on the base track as heretofore-explained. One of the -webs of the inverted channel dn the structural member serves to support a weathershield against which the upper marginal edge of the vertically varying slidingdoor operates. The .shield augmented by a weather-stripping serves to seal the variable gap between -the upper peripheral edge of the door and the lower portion of the guide rail system, regardless `of the variation'of the gap over a ywide range as the Idoor operates over the base supporting rail.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, reference character 1 designates the overhead sliding structure to which the structural element 2 forming the box track is secured by bolts 3. The-box track 2 moves vertically'with the overhead structure 1 as the vstructure adjusts itself for temperature changes and roof loads. v The box track 2 is appropriately braced by means of depending angle 4 also bolted to overhead structure 1 by suitable bolt members such as 4a. Box track 2 'is arranged immediately adjacent and back-to-back with 'respect to a similar bo'x track 5 for an adjacent leaf of a multiple leaf door. -Each box track lconsists of a web 2a having a pair of depending flanges 2b and 2c which are turned inwardly toward each other to provide longitudinally extending treads 2d and 2e having upwardly turned peripheral edges 2f and 2g. The treads 2e and Zdserve as trackways to support the vertically disposed rollers 6 and 7 carried by opposite ends Vof transversev shaft Vt5, which shaft is journaled -in bronze bushings 9 and 10 Yjournaled in standards 11 and 12 mounted on plate 14 which is bolted to the Vrear of the web ltz'of inverted channel 15 by means of bolt 15. The inverted channel 15 has a pair of downwardly extending anges 15b 'and 15C which extend in Vspaced ,pain allel relation to the upwardly turned edges 2f and 2g of the box track 2. Inverted channel 15 serves -as Ya carrier for the plate V17 which is bolted thereto Yby means of the bolts V16 which are the same :bolts which serve to secure the plate 14 tothe rear web 15a of the, inverted1 channel 15. The plate 17'supports the depending shaft 1S which vstop for the massive door structure, represented at.23,

when the door tends to fall las a result of a low condition of the supporting track-bed beneath the sliding door and over which the sliding door normally rolls.

In Fig. 2 I have represented a massive sliding door structure 23 .in full lines in a relatively low position along the base track-bed, the dotted lines 19 being intended to illustrate the door in its elevated position which is a higher elevation along the base track-bed.

The plate 14 which is secured above the rear web of the inverted channel 15, as distinguished from the plate 17 which is secured below the rear web of the inverted channel by the same bolts and securing nuts 16, also serves as a support for vertically disposed corner posts 24, 25, 26 and 27. The posts 24-27 each carry graphite bronze bushings represented at 28, 29, 30 and 31 on which are journaled the steel rollers 32, 33, 34 and 35, respectively. These steel rollers serve to restrict the movement of the roller assembly in a controlled path between the tread surfaces provided by the inner faces of the depending flanges 2b and 2c of the box track 2. In order to clarify the invention appreciable gaps have been left between the surfaces of the rollers 32 and 33 and tread surface 2b (Figs. 2 and 3), and similar gaps have been left between rollers 34 and 35 and the surface 2c, but it will be understood that in practice rollers 32 and 33 operate directly against tread surface 2b, while rollers 34 and 35 operate against tread surface 2c. At the same time rollers 6 and 7 operate over the tread surfaces 2d and 2e. Accordingly, thrusts in a lateral direction are restricted by rolling contact between rollers 32-35 and the interior surfaces of flanges 2b and 2c while movement gravitationally downwardly is restricted by rollers 6 and 7 operating over treads 2d and 2e. In the event of an upward thrust, rollers 6 and 7 abut with the lower surface of web 2a of box track 2.

The upper ends of posts 24-27 may be reinforced by means of frame structure 36 which engages the upper ends of the posts 24-27 and is secured to plate 14 through connections 36a and 36b. Thus a substantial assembly of rollers is provided in a box-like frame 36 operating within the box track 2.

Inasmuch as the upper marginal portion 19a of the massive door structure 23 at various times approaches the guide roller assembly or recedes therefrom in accordance with variations in the condition of the base track-bed, a varying space exists between the guide roller assembly and the top marginal edge of the door as represented in Fig. 2. As'a protective means for continuously closing this variable gap, represented generally at 37, in Fig. 2, I provide a Weather-shield 38 which is turned inwardly along its upper marginal edge to form a rolled-over edge portion 38a. The downwardly extending flange 15b of the inverted channel 15 serves as a mounting means for the weathenstrip 39. Weather-strip 39 is formed from resilient material such as Phosphor bronze and forms a yielding and slidable contact yat 40 with the upturned edge 2f of the box track 2. This yielding and sliding contact closes the gap between the inverted channel 15 and the box track 2 on the weatherside of the door. The weathershield 38 connects at its rolled-over edge 38a with the weather-strip 39 and depends downwardly as represented in Fig. 2, overlapping with the upper peripheral portion 19 of the sliding door. The lower peripheral edge of weather-shield 38 is strengthened by an outwardly projecting flange 3811, as shown more clearly in Figs. 2, 4, 6 and 7, extending in the direction of the weatherside of the door. This flange 38b is provided with spaced slots 38C shown more clearly in Figs. 4, 6 and 7. Through these slots I arrange vertically disposed fingers 41 which are secured at their lower ends 41a to the upper marginal portion 19 of the massive door structure 23 by means of fastening bolts 41b. The fingers 41 are slightly offset from the exposed weather surface 42 of the sliding door in the form of my invention shown in Figs. l-4, 6 and 7, enabling the upper portion of the door structure shown at 19 to readily move relative to the weather-shield 38, While fingers 41 continuously press weather-shield 38 into sliding engagement with the exposed weather surface 42 of the door structure as the door rises and falls in level on the base trackway, that supports the door. Thus a protective weather-shield is maintained across the gap 37 within Wide limits as the vertical position of the door varies.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modified arrangement of weather-shield in which a plate 43 is secured by a flange 43a to the under surface of the box track 2 and depends downwardly in overlapping relation to the upper portion 19 of the massive door. A strengthening flange 43h is provided along the lower marginal edge of plate 43. In this arrangement the confining fingers 41 are not required as the position and yieldability and natural resilience of plate 43 is sufficient to maintain the protective shield in contact with the upper portion of the sliding door as the door rises and falls according to the level of base track-bed.

The massive door structure 23 is represented as including insulation means 23a for resisting the passage of heat or cold for protecting the door openings to the greatest possible extent.

While I have described my invention in certain of its preferred embodiments I realize that modifications may be made and I desire that it be understood that no limitations upon my invention are intended other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

l. An overhead guide and roller for sliding doors comprising a substantially channel-shaped structural member supported in inverted position and including a pair of inwardly directed longitudinally extending treads adjacent oppositely disposed vertically depending flanges, an inverted channel located intermediate said treads and having a web portion and a pair of spaced depending flange portions, a frame structure supported by the web portion of said channel, pairs of roller members journaled in said frame structure, one `pair of said roller members bearing upon said treads and the other pair of said roller members establishing rolling contact with said vertically depending flanges whereby said last mentioned inverted channel is guided intermediate said treads, means for guiding a door beneath the flange portions of said inverted channel, and a weather-shield and Weather-strip supported by one of the depending flanges of said last mentioned inverted channel and closing the gaps between said last mentioned inverted channel and one of the inwardly directed longitudinally extending treads and between the top portion of said door and said last mentioned inverted channel.

2. An overhead guide and roller for sliding doors as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for guiding the door beneath the flange portions of said inverted channel consists of a vertically depending member attached to the undersurface of the web portion of said inverted channel while said frame structure is attached to the upper surface of the web portion of said inverted channel.

3. An overhead guide and roller for sliding doors comprising a substantially channel-shapedl structural member supported in inverted position and including a pair of inwardly directed longitudinally extending treads adjacent oppositely `disposed vertically depending flanges, an inverted channel located intermediate said treads and having a web portion and-a pair of spaced depending flange portions, a frame structure supported by the web portion of said channel, pairs of roller members journaled in said frame structure, one pair of said roller members bearing upon said treads and the other pair Aof said rollermembers establishing rolling contact with said vertically depending flanges whereby said last mentioned inverted channel is guided intermediate said treads, means for guiding a door beneath the flange portions of said inverted channel, and a weather-shield attached to the lower surface of one of the treads of said structural member and depending downwardly into yielding contact with the surface of the door which is guided by the roller assembly for maintaining the gap between the door and said roller assembly closed as the top periphery of the door varies in position with respect to said roller assembly.

4. An overhead guide and roller for sliding doors as set forth in claim 3 in which said weather-shield is formed from resilient material and biased inwardly toward the surface of said door and a reinforcing flange formed on the lower peripheral edge of said weather-shield opposite the position of contact of the weather-shield with the upper surface of the door.

5. An overhead guide and roller for sliding doors as set forth in claim l in which said inverted channel extends below the undersurface of the treads of said structural member and wherein the weather-strip supported by one of the depending flanges of said inverted channel is resilient and establishes yielding resilient contact with the inwardly directed peripheral edge of one of the treads of said structural member for maintaining a weather-tight connection between said inverted channel and said structural member as said inverted channel, and the door guided thereby, slides longitudinally with respect to said structural member.

6. An overhead guide and roller for sliding doors as set forth in claim 1 in which said weather-shield which depends downwardly from one of the depending flanges of said inverted channel extends to a position overlapping with the front surface of the door whereby the door may vary in position in a vertical direction beneath said inverted channel as the door slides below said structural member.

7. An overhead guide and roller for sliding doors as set forth in claim 1 in which said weather-shield extends downwardly in overlapping relation to the surface of the door and has a reinforcing ange along the peripheral edge thereof, said flange being slotted at spaced intervals along the length thereof and a multiplicity of offset lingers secured to the upper marginal portion of said door and extending upwardly through the spaced slots in the flange on said weather-shield and establishing yielding contact with said Weather-shield for maintaining said weather-shield in yielding contact with the surface of the door as the door moves vertically beneath said roller assembly for continuously closing the gap between said inverted channel and the top periphery of the door.

8. An overhead guide and roller for sliding doors as set forth in claim 1 in which said weather-strip is located immediately adjacent the last mentioned depending ange of said inverted channel and wherein said weather-shield is attached over a portion of said weather-strip and wherein a portion of said weather-strip is biased to establish yielding contact with a peripheral portion of the tread of said structural member and wherein said weather-shield is biased in the opposite direction to establish yielding contact with the upper marginal portion of said door for continuously closing the gap between the upper peripheral edge of the door and said inverted channel as the door moves vertically beneath said inverted channel in the course of the lineal sliding movement of the door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 736,656 Whitacre Aug. 18, 1903 FOREIGN PATENTS 737,340 France Dec. 9, 1932 

